


An Older Brother Sickness

by sweetheartshumjr



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 12 Days of Christmas, Brother Feels, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Newt Scamander, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Sick Character, Sickfic, sick Theseus Scamander
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 07:50:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17039735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetheartshumjr/pseuds/sweetheartshumjr
Summary: Day 4: Someone is sick





	An Older Brother Sickness

**Author's Note:**

> All thanks to my amazing beta [knaveryact ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/knaveryact)

So as it turns out, walking around without a scarf in the middle of the winter is actually bad for your health. Who knew?

It wasn’t really that bad, though, just a sore throat and a light fever, nothing Theseus Scamander wouldn’t manage, even if his mother was of a different opinion. Much to his dismay, she straight up forbid him from leaving the bed, under a threat of her wand, and so he did not have much of a choice but comply. He’d really be foolish if he tried otherwise.

The problem was, it was so tremendously boring to just lay there, with the only options reading or going to sleep. Since every attempt at having a converstation ended up in a coughing fit, even that wasn’t allowed.

The most surprising part of all of this, was how adamant Newt was to keep helping. The ten year old would bring him the chicken soup, or tea, or whatever it was that their mum would try and feed him, but after setting it down, he’d quickly leave. Theseus’ best guess what that was to try and protect the younger boy from getting sick as well. It’s not like he blamed either of them.

Still, would’ve been nice to have some company.

That being said, having Newt of all people taking care of him, felt somewhat… strange. Theseus was used to being on the other side of this - it was usually him taking care of the kid, no matter if he was sick, or hurt after another escapade after some magical creature (which drove him crazy, but there really was no way to make Newt listen).

With a sigh, Theseus leaned deeper onto the bed, figuring that he might take a nap as well. Reading got too tireing a while ago, and since there was nothing else to do… He didn’t even properly close his eyes, though, before he heard a delicate knock on the door. Groaning, he sat up straighter again.

“Open!” he said, with a cough. Damnit. In the crack of the door, Newt’s head popped in. Despite himself, Theseus smiled weakly. “Hey, come on in,” he invited the kid.

Closing the door behind, Newt prompty walked inside, with a mug filled with a steaming hot tea. He handed it to Theseus without a word. “Thanks,” Theseus whispered, trying to avoid another coughing fit. Much to his surprise, instead of leaving at once, Newt stood still in front of him, clearly thinking about something.

“What is it?” Theseus asked, rising an eyebrow.

The kid sighed in response.

“Why do you…” the rest of the sentence drifted off. Newt picked nervously on his nails, before attempting to start over. “I mean to ask… Why don’t you let people take care of you?”

Theseus raised both of his eyebrows this time.

“What?” he asked, stupefided. That reaction seemed to make Newt only even more uncomfortable. Theseus moved over slightly and patted the bed, inviting the boy to sit down next to him. It was going to be quite a conversation, wasn’t it. “What do you mean?”

Newt took a deep breath. “Well, you see… When you first got a cough, you just waved it off. And then Mum noticed you have a fever, and you just told her that it’s gonna go away. But it… didn’t,” he said, his gaze fixed somewhere behind his brother. “If I didn’t tell Mum that you’re in pain you… would… be in pain. Why do you do that, Seus?”

Theseus stared at his brother, surprised. The kid wasn’t… wrong. He tried ignoring every symptom of getting a cold, but then there was just so much to do before Christmas. And he wanted to spend every moment with his family, instead of being stuck alone in his room, which incidentally was just like he ended up.

And also… he really hated being a burden.

“It’s nothing to worry about, Newt,” he said quietly, gripping the hot mug tighter, not looking at his brother.

“It is!” Newt argued. “Seus, you always take care of me. Why can’t I take care of you? You deserve this too!”

This made Theseus smile. Yeah, yeah this kid was going to Hufflepuff, not a question about that.

“It’s because I am the older brother, Newt,” he answered. “I should be taking care of you, not the other way around.”

“But, why?” the boy asked, clearly not understanding what Theseus meant.

“Well… It’s just… how it’s supposed to be. You shouldn’t worry about me, little brother,” he said, finally looking up from the honey-coloured tea, meeting Newt’s gaze.

“But I want to, Seus!” Newt said, stubbornly, with arms crossed.

Theseus couldn’t help but laugh at this sight, which did not turn out to be that great of an idea, as all it lead to was yet another coughing fit. Newt snached the mug from his hands and patted him on the back. When he finally stopped, the boy urged him to lay down, and even awkwardly adjusted his pillows.

“See? You do need help,” Newt said proudly.

Theseus really wanted to roll his eyes. “Okay, mabe I do. But if you start to act like Mum, I’ll personally kick you out of this room.”

“I won’t if you don’t act like a child!” Newt huffed.

“Oh, so you mean don’t act like you?” Theseus said mockingly, earning a light punch on the shoulder for that.

“Seus!”

“Fine, I’m just kidding, Newtty,” he said with a smirk, finding Newt’s annoyed eye-roll incredibly amusing.

A moment of silence fell over the room, but it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable anymore. It was ended by the younger of the brothers asking, if Theseus needed anything still.

“No, I think I’m good,” he replied, shrugging. Then he had an idea. “Actually…”

“Yes?” Newt asked, turning around in the door. His brother’s smirk was ever so slightly… mischevious. “What is it?”

“A hug?”

“No, I’ll get sick!” Newt whined, making Theseus chuckle louder.

“Really? You’ve spent so much time in this room, that I think one tiny hug is not gonna hurt you much. And besides, didn’t you say you want to take care of me?” Theseus noticed, opening his arms.

Newt rolled his eyes again. “Fine,” he sighed, walking up to his brother, and leaning into a hug. “You smell like a pharmacy!” he mumbled into Theseus’ neck.

He chuckled again. “Thanks, Newton,” he said, smiling. Maybe being sick wasn’t that bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr @shumscamander


End file.
